Door catch



June 10, 1930.

W. N ORM AN DOOR CATCH Filed Dec. 3, 1928 INVENTOR. Will-Lam Nut-man "/4r" l i 1 ATTORNEYS.

'20 substantially on the line111 of F igure'2.

3o inFigure 1 of the drawing.

' Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED T TES- WILLIAM NORMAN, F Gn nnIs ANn,NEB ASKA 1 noon- CATCH Application filed December 3 embodyingimprovements over the door catch 'set forth in my Patent #1,6,86,4l7granted October 2, 1928, in the means for latching the closure andtripping the latch. it Other objects and advantages of this inventionwill be apparent during the course ofthe following detailed.description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, andwherein simi lar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views. Figure Tie a sectional view taken througha portion of the door or closure structure, and showing the improvedlatch as it is connected to a jamb or casing; theview' being taken"Figure 2'is a fragmentary front view of the front portion of a door orclosure structure, showing the improved type; of keeper and trip leverwhich may be used in connection with the latch. j Figure 3 is a view ofthe pivoted bolt in the casing, with one wall of the casing removed.Figures 4, 5" .and 6 are sectional views taken substantially on theirrespective lines Figure 7 is aperspective view of the trip handleand-the frame for supporting the same and the bolt retainer on adoor orclosure.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of Y 5 illustration is shownonlyf'a preferred elnbodi ment of the invention, the letter A maygenerally designate the improved door latch, which embodies a casingBhaving a movable bolt C therein; the casing 13 being mounted upon ajamb, post, door, or like structure D.

A frame E adapted to receive a keeper or re'-, tainer is mounted upon adoor-0r other build-, ing structure F, and has a trip'handle Gassociated therewith for tripping the latch bolt,

and opening the door or closure F. p r The casing B preferablycomprises'outer and inner walls '10 and 11, the inner wall 11 at'itsupper .and lower edges being flanged at 12 and 13 respectively, in'rightangled rela 10 tion, to close the space 15 between the said that'thewalls 10 and are provided with; V horizontally elongatedopenings 29therein, in

.which the ends of the bolt 24 are mounted,

order to adj ust it to the position ofthe keeper,

, .1928. Serial-No. 323,4 2. v I

walls. *The walls 10 and 11 are provided with openings for receivingscrewsl? or the'like to support thecasing upon'the jamb, post, or otherbuilding structure 1)." The walls 10 and 11 are outwardly flangedatthefront-and' rear thereof, at20, so that the" entire'front and rearof the space between the walls lO and 11' r is open, and the front andrear ends .of the" bolt C project therethroughi'j 'The'bolt Cfisprovided with an opening20 intermediate the ends thereof, which receivestherein a spacing sleeve 21, on which the bolt'is pivoted. The spacingsleeve 21, .as 'shown in Figure 6, is supported in the space between thewallslO and 11 by a detachable bolt 24. This spacing 5 sleeve serves twofunctions, namely, to space thewalls l0 and 'and provide a pivot.mountingfo-r the bolt*C. [It is to be'noted for adjustment, in orderthat thehead ofthe bolt may be extended to various degrees'with respectto the'forward end of the case B,,in

51-. which may vary under some ci'rcumstances, as.

* can readily be understoodby those skilled-in thisart; I V e The bolt Cis somewhat of the form set forth in my patent above referred to; It iselon ated and forwardly of the pivot 'it is weig tedso thatthe samewillby gravity swing. downward, so th'at'the front end engages againstaspecial bolt 35* of the case. The bolt is provid'ed'with apoint .or'apex g 31 at the front'thereof, for ned'by the intersection of the topedge 32 ofv the bolt, and the: V

rearwardly and downwardly sloping front edge 38. This edge 331s sopositioned that it will slide against the retaining bolt-or keeper to.be subsequently I described, in order to lift the latch bolt to permit'the keeper to slip intothe recess 35 provided upwardly in'the bolttransverse to the edge 33 and in-f tersecting the same. A suitableopening 36' may be provided at the apex endSl of the bolt, if desired@Referring to the keeper, its frame, and" the releasing latch, the frameis preferably I r of metal, and is mounted upon a door which the bolt isto releasably latch. The doorF is preferably morticed at 40, inwardlyfrom the edge which faces the bolt support D.

The keeper frame E is preferably of forged, cast, or stamped metal,preferably including a fiat plate body 41, of substan tially triangularform, which at the wide end thereof is flanged, as shown at 42 in Figure.7 of the drawing. From the flange 42 the body 41 converges to a point,provided with an opening 43 for receiving a screw or bolt 44 by means ofwhich the plate body 41 may be attached to the door or closure F, asshown in the drawing. The flange 42 is adapted to fit across the freeedge of the door or closure F, and it is provided with openings 46 forreceiving bolts or screws 47 by means of which the said flange 42 may besecured to the door closure. This flange 42 of course bridges themortise or recess 40. The body 41 adjacent the flange 42 is providedwith a substantially rectangular opening 49 formed by bending, stamping,or otherwise providing a flange 50 at an edge of the opening 49 inspaced parallel relation with the flange 42; the flange 50 being adaptedto rest against the bottom surface of the mortice or recess 40. Theflanges 42 and 50 are provided with openings 53, in aligning relation,adapted to receive the keeper pin 60, which is .preferably inthe as. F,as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing.

form of' a screw, having a head countersunk in the opening 53 and ascrew threadedshank adapted to bite into the material of the door Thiskeeper pin or retainer has a smooth shank portion extending transverselyacross the space between the flanges 42 and 50, as shown inoFigure 2 ofthe drawing.

The keeper frame .E is of course so positioned on the closure F thatwhenthe latter is closedthe pin 60 will engage against the edge 33 of thebolt C, lifting the bolt, on its pivot, until the keeper pin slips intothe bolt recess 35, when the bolt drops downwardly and latches the door,as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing. In this position the end of thebolt projects beyond the outer surface of the frame The improved latchis provided with a novel trip lever G, best shown in Figure 7 of thedrawing, which includes a straight bar portion 71 having a substantiallyU- shaped handle 72 riveted or secured at its ends to the ends of thebar to provide a hand inserting opening between the bar and the U-shapedhandle. At one end the U-shaped handle is secured to the bar 71 by meansof a pin .74 which also serves as a pivot pin for the. swinging of thelever G. This pivot pin is mounted adjacent the apex of the keeper frameE, and a rivet 76 secures the other end of the U-shaped handle 72 to thebar 71 to'complete the handle. The free end of the lever Gr swingsacross the opening 50,

and the purpose, of course, is to lift the end of the bolt off of thekeeper, by swinging the lever G from the position shown in Figure 7,upwardly, and at the same time the operator pulling on the handle toopen the door.

To keep the handle Gr in proper position upon the frame E, it ispreferred to provide a retaining strap 80, which is vertically securedon the outer surface of the plate 41; the same being riveted at itsupper and lower ends at 81 and 82 respectively, to the body 41 of theframe E adjacent and parallel to the opening 49, between the same andthe pivot of the handle. The strap 80 provides a loop 83' between thesame and the body 41 thru which the bar 71 of the handle Gr slidablyextends; the movements of the handle G being limited by the engagementof the bar 71 at the ends of the strap 80, in a manner which isperfectly obvious. The strap 80, of course, threads thru the opening inthe handle G between the handle portion 72 and the bar 71.

Inorder to prevent releasing of the bolt from its latching position onthe keeper pin 60, merely by lifting of the trip handle G, I prefer toprovide a key or pin 90, connected by a flexible strap or cable 91, at92, upon the amb or post 1), adjacent the rear shank end 30 of the bolt0. This is adapted to be slipped throughaligning openings 94 in the casewalls 10 and 11, which are disposed im mediately beneath the shank 30 ofthe bolt C when the latter is in a latching position, as shown in Figure1 of the drawing, and which of course prevents the lifting of theretaining end of the bolt by raising the handle G. This to the post orjamb against liability of move- 7 ment, as shown in the drawing.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts of theimproved latch may be made to the form of invention herein shown anddescribed, without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the claims.

I claimi I 1. In a latch the combination of a casing providing a pair ofwalls, one of the walls having upper and lower right angled flanges,transverse detachable means connecting the walls together withtheiflanges in engagement between the walls to hold them spaced, thefront and rear of the case between the walls being open, a pivot pintransversely carried by the walls, a latch bolt pivoted on said pin andextending through the rear and front openings between the walls, thebolt beyond the front of the case having a keeper receiving slottherein, the pivot pin being adjustable longitudinally of the case.between the front and rear open ends. i 2. In a latch the combination ofa casing providing a pair of walls, one of the walls having upper andlower right angled flanges, transverse detachable means connecting thewalls together with the flanges in engagement between the walls to holdthem spaced, the front and rear of the case'between the walls beingopen, a pivot pin transversely carried by the walls, a latch boltpivoted on said pin and extending through the rear and front openingsbetween the walls, the bolt beyond the front of the case having a keeperreceiving slot'therein, the pivot pin being adjustable longitudinally ofthe case between the front and rear open ends, and releasable key meansto hold the bolt in a latched relation. i 3. As an article ofmanufacture a keeper structure for latches comprising a body platehaving a right angled flange at an end thereof, the plate adjacent theflange having an opening therethrough and at the opposite side of theopening from the flange being v provided with another flange spaced fromand parallel with the first mentioned flange, and a keeper pintransversely carried by said flanges. I

L'As an article of manufacture a keeper structure for latches comprisinga body plate 7 having a right angled flangeat an end thereof, the plateadjacent the flange having an 1 opening therethrough and at the oppositeside of the opening from the flange being provided with another flangespaced from and parallel with the first mentioned flange, 40 a keeperpin transversely carried by said flanges, a bolt tripping lever pivotedon the plate at a location remote from the flanges and operating acrosssaid opening at the op- I posite side of the plate from said flanges. 5.As an article of manufacture a keeper structure for latches comprising abody plate having a right angled flange at'an end thereof, the plateadjacent the flange having'an opening therethrough and at the opposite 5side of the opening from theflange being provided with another flangespaced from] and parallel with the first mentioned flange, a keeper pintransversely carried by said flanges, a bolt tripping lever pivoted onthe plate ata location remote from the flanges and operating across saidopening at the op-' posite side of the plate from said flanges, andmeans carried by the plate for limiting the amplitude of movement of thelever. WILLIAM NORMAN.

